Apple ditches plan to build USD 1B data center in Ireland

Tech giant Apple have announced that they will be ditching their plan to build data center worth USD 1 billion in Ireland. This decision has been taken by Apple as a result of delays in the approval process at higher stages, stalling the project for almost three years.

Apple say that they had planned to build the facility in the rural western town of Athenry and leverage the green energy resources nearby. They also added that in spite of High Court’s approval, the entities appealing against Apple took them to Supreme Court for the matter, which stalled their project further.

Explaining the need to scrap the plan, a spokesperson for Apple commented:

Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data center. While disappointing, this setback will not dampen our enthusiasm for future projects in Ireland as our business continues to grow.

The government of Ireland is currently in the process of amending its planning and laws to include data centers as a strategic infrastructure to boost the country’s economy. Explaining this, Heather Humphreys, Ireland’s Minister for Business and Enterprise, commented:

There is no disputing that Apple’s decision is very disappointing, particularly for Athenry and the West of Ireland.

The Government did everything it could to support this investment… These delays have, if nothing else, underlined our need to make the State’s planning and legal processes more efficient.